• Posted 12/19/2024.
    =====================

    I am still waiting on my developer to finish up on the Classifieds Control Panel so I can use it to encourage members into becoming paying members. Google Adsense has become a real burden on the viewing of this site, but honestly it is the ONLY source of income now that keeps it afloat. I tried offering disabling the ads being viewed by paying members, but apparently that is not enough incentive. Quite frankly, Google Adsense has dropped down to where it barely brings in enough daily to match even a single paid member per day. But it still gets the bills paid. But at what cost?

    So even without the classifieds control panel being complete, I believe I am going to have to disable those Google ads completely and likely disable some options here that have been free since going to the new platform. Like classified ad bumping, member name changes, and anything else I can use to encourage this site to be supported by the members instead of the Google Adsense ads.

    But there is risk involved. I will not pay out of pocket for very long during this last ditch experimental effort. If I find that the membership does not want to support this site with memberships, then I cannot support your being able to post your classified ads here for free. No, I am not intending to start charging for your posting ads here. I will just shut the site down and that will be it. I will be done with FaunaClassifieds. I certainly don't need this, and can live the rest of my life just fine without it. If I see that no one else really wants it to survive neither, then so be it. It goes away and you all can just go elsewhere to advertise your animals and merchandise.

    Not sure when this will take place, and I don't intend to give any further warning concerning the disabling of the Google Adsense. Just as there probably won't be any warning if I decide to close down this site. You will just come here and there will be some sort of message that the site is gone, and you have a nice day.

    I have been trying to make a go of this site for a very long time. And quite frankly, I am just tired of trying. I had hoped that enough people would be willing to help me help you all have a free outlet to offer your stuff for sale. But every year I see less and less people coming to this site, much less supporting it financially. That is fine. I tried. I retired the SerpenCo business about 14 years ago, so retiring out of this business completely is not that big if a step for me, nor will it be especially painful to do. When I was in Thailand, I did not check in here for three weeks. I didn't miss it even a little bit. So if you all want it to remain, it will be in your hands. I really don't care either way.

    =====================
    Some people have indicated that finding the method to contribute is rather difficult. And I have to admit, that it is not all that obvious. So to help, here is a thread to help as a quide. How to become a contributing member of FaunaClassifieds.

    And for the record, I will be shutting down the Google Adsense ads on January 1, 2025.
  • Responding to email notices you receive.
    **************************************************
    In short, DON'T! Email notices are to ONLY alert you of a reply to your private message or your ad on this site. Replying to the email just wastes your time as it goes NOWHERE, and probably pisses off the person you thought you replied to when they think you just ignored them. So instead of complaining to me about your messages not being replied to from this site via email, please READ that email notice that plainly states what you need to do in order to reply to who you are trying to converse with.

Bad Guy Jeff and Christina Wise (Wise Reptiles) Stole Money from Benefit Auctions for Maggie

Dennis Hultman said:
Thanks for bringing this to the forefront Tom. I know a nice little letter was just sent to his future wife and a link to this thread. Who knows maybe she will care.

Don't know if it will do any good but Jeff will know this will never leave him.

Good Job.
Click to expand...

It was nothing, I'm just glad that once again, they are not anonymous and forgotten. The letter was a good idea, but it's been my experience that people who seek these types of people out are either this type of person themselves, or "ok with it". Stranger things have happened though.

Looks like both of them are making money legitimately now... maybe it's time for their debt to be repaid with interest. Any... ah... appropriate pressure towards that end is a good thing. ;) Probably not going to happen, but like I said, stranger things have.
 
You guys are awesome! When the notice came in my email i said another prayer in hopes that these people will have to pay. And now that he is "owner and operator " of a business maybe the time is now
! :)
 
Lets wait on the employer and see if I can get my money back first. I already threatened him with that and contacting a local attorney to file suit.
 
crotalusadamanteus said:
Lets wait on the employer and see if I can get my money back first. I already threatened him with that and contacting a local attorney to file suit.
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I don't know how long ago you paid him, but I note this thread goes back several years and I haven't read all of it (yet). If you're serious about filing a lawsuit do it before the statute of limitations runs out.
 
I'm really sorry this happened to the community. I've bought two geckos from breeders here and I monitor the BOI and keep an eye out for any gecko deals in the classifieds daily. I'm really a nobody here on the BOI/Fauna but if I can make a suggestion. Since this is a lot of money and this was also done for a good cause as well as organized by a community, has anyone tried contacting the local news station or news paper in the Wise's area? I'm sure one if not both of them would be very interested in this story. If no one can or wants to do this I would be happy to. I just need to know what city the Wise's live in and maybe I can forward them this link or have them contact someone here on Fauna that is more intimate with this situation. Either way, this wrong needs to be made right. Please PM me if I can help.
 
So glad this thread is alive again! I joined fauna apparently right when the auctions were going on and was so sad that when everything was said and done they seemed to have gotten away with it. Well, apparently not everything has been said and done! Praying for justice.
 
Sorry, but this has been bothering me since I read some of this thread. I just hate people that take advantage of those in need so I called a station myself. I talked to ABC12. They cover Flint, Michigan (I hope this is where the Wises live). A producer wants a link to that youtube video posted by Dennis Hultman as well as a description of what transpired of the stolen money. When I have more time I'll look up some newspapers in that area and either send someone here that information. I'm afraid of contacting them myself because I would just end being a third party to this because I do not know the whole story. So here is where the information the producer from abc12 news wanted:

Link to the video (I assume it was a youtube video)
Parties involved
A description what happened
A contact person's name, phone number and email

Just remember this is only one news station. There are a lot more avenues through media we can go through such as other news channels and news papers. Even contacting some local pet stores and maybe emailing fliers with the Wise's picture and a brief description of what they did (kind of like a wanted poster).

I'm hoping at the least I helped a little bit because I really want to see the families get their money.
 
Oliver, does the producer know that this all went down over 4 years ago? I am all for getting the Wises for everything they have done, but I can't imagine a news outlet picking up a story like this now.
 
Yes, I told the producer I talked to that this has happened several years ago and a resolution still hasn't been found. I told them we (Fauna community and the families) needed they're help.

I forgot the email address for abc12. Its: [email protected]

The producer I talked to said that the assignment desk and other producers will all see the email. Just give it a good subject title. Maybe something like: Charity auction money stolen by couple
 
bcr229 said:
I don't know how long ago you paid him, but I note this thread goes back several years and I haven't read all of it (yet). If you're serious about filing a lawsuit do it before the statute of limitations runs out.
Click to expand...

I realize that. I think it's 5 years for civil, unless it's felonious. But he's just smart enough that maybe it will work. If not, oh well. I been out the money all this time already.
 

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